Gold was a guest of Florida Republican Representatives John Mica, who invited people affected by gun violence to the speech. Peter is in Mica’s congressional district.

Mica told Bloomberg: “This isn’t a political statement or anything. It isn’t a conflict with the president or trying to upstage him or anything. This is a young man who carried out a courageous act.”

During the November incident, the accused kidnapper tried to shoot Gold in the head, but the gun jammed and repeatedly tried again before giving up and speeding off - leaving the woman he tried to kidnap behind.

At the State of the Union, the seat next to First Lady Michelle Obama was left vacant as a symbolic gesture to showcase the people who were victims of gun violence.